A Wake Up Call

4:26AM- Farmer John wakes up. Something doesn't seem right. 

4:29 AM- Sheriff's Department receives a call. "I am the newspaper delivery person and something seems suspicious here. I think there is a theft in progress."

Soon after- Sheriff appears at my in-laws house (next door to us) asking if someone could come with him to check out our field irrigator. There is a wheel in the road and others are missing he says.

Shortly after- Farmer John gets a call from my mother-in-law. John is out the door in less than 30 seconds.

 Three of the tires were removed from our irrigator. Each tire and wheel weighing between 250-300 pounds. The first tire was found in the ditch along the road. Another was on the road, and a third was found across the road on the golf course. All this activity within a half mile of our front door.

Since the tires were all found, the investigation has turned from theft to vandalism. It is unlikely that the "culprits" will be found, but we are extremely grateful to the newspaper delivery person who had the foresight to report something that looked unusual. Had the call not been made, the tires would have surely been gone.

The irrigation company arrived mid-day to reattach the tires, tighten bolts that were loosened on the next tire the thieves attempted to remove, and gave a thorough look-see at everything else on the irrigator. We were told that each tire and wheel would have been about $800 to replace if they were not found. ($800 x 3 = a lot!)

We all agree that "It could have been worse," but it is frustrating to have to put time and money into something that should not have happened. 

But there is a bright side to our story...there are still good, honest people in the world. The newspaper delivery person proved that!

 Sadly, this is not the first "attack" on this irrigator. 

You can read about the other "attack" here.

 

Milk And Middler-Schoolers

Most of my school visits to talk about being a dairy farmer happen at elementary schools. Recently I was invited to speak at Maplewood Middle School. For you non-Minnesotan's, Maplewood is considered a suburb of St. Paul, with a population of nearly 40,000 so farmin' country it is not. 

 

I began with my Powerpoint presentation, sharing about my family, our farm, and what we do each day. I talked about feeding our animals, the milking process, and what happens when animals get sick. We moved on to a discussion of dairy foods and how they get to the grocery store. 

Even though the teacher suggested the students hold their questions until the end of my presentation, I kept getting interrupted with questions... and I loved it! I witnessed enthusiasm and great questions from these middle-schoolers along with a strong desire to learn more about dairy farming and where their food comes from. Here are some of my favorite questions-

Q.- When you buy 1% milk, what is the other 99%?

A.- All types of milk are 100% milk. The percentages included in the names of the milk indicate how much fat is in the milk by weight. All of these milks contain the nine essential nutrients found in whole milk but less fat.

Q.- I've heard that we are supposed to drink chocolate milk after sports. Why?

A.- Chocolate milk contains a combination of carbohydrates and protein to help replenish exhausted muscles after exercise, and provides potassium and sodium that help your body re-hydrate. And, there's an added bonus- chocolate milk is natural, and less expensive than sports drinks!

And now it was time for me to ask the students some questions...

Me- "Why do you think I go to schools to talk about dairy farming?"

Them- "So we can find out what you do and why it's important for us to drink milk?"

Me- "That's right. As you probably know, not everything you read or see on social media or TV or the internet is always true.

 (Them...laughter)

Me- " If you have a concern about your dog or cat, who do you talk to?" 

Them- "The vet."

Me- "If you have a question about your car, who do you talk to?"

Them- "A mechanic."

Me- "So if you have a question about your food, why wouldn't you talk to a farmer?"

(Them- heads nodding yes.)

Mission accomplished!

Maplewood Middle School knows the importance of milk and  

participates in the Fuel Up To Play 60 program.

Thanks to  Michele, Miss Martha, and the students of Maplewood Middle school for a moovelous time!